The Olive (Plastenis subtusa).
This moth is shown on Plate [4], Fig. 6. It is somewhat similar in general appearance to the last mentioned, but the
colour of the fore wings is greyer; the cross lines are not parallel, and the outer margins of these wings are less irregular. The caterpillar is greenish, with black dots, and white lines along the back and sides; the head and plate on the first ring of the body black. It feeds, on poplar and aspen, in April and May. By day these caterpillars may be found spun up between two leaves or in a folded leaf. The moth is out in July and August, but is rarely noticed in the daytime, although at night, when it becomes active, it may be obtained, sometimes not altogether uncommonly, at honeydew, or in much fewer numbers at sugar or light. The best way to obtain the species is to search for the caterpillars, which are not at all difficult to rear. Most of them, however, prefer the higher foliage of well-grown aspen or poplar, where they may be seen but not readily secured; but I have generally found as many as I wanted within reach.
The species seems to have a wide distribution throughout England, and Scotland up to Moray, its occurrence in any locality depending on the presence of the poplar or aspen. The range abroad extends to Eastern Siberia.
The Centre-barred Sallow (Cirrhœdia (Atethmia) xerampelina).
The typical form of this pretty species has the fore wings yellow, with a purplish-red central band. The band, which fills up the space between the first and second lines, is rarely carried through to the front margins of the wing, but usually is only fragmentary above the reniform stigma, which forms part of it; it also varies in the intensity of the purple tint. In most British specimens the band varies as indicated above, but the general colour of the fore wings is orange-yellow (Plate [4], Fig. 8)—ab. centrago, Haw.—the hind marginal band agreeing in colour with that of the central band. Or the fore wings may assume the colour of Fig. 9, var. unicolor, Staud., but this form is rare in Britain, although it is known to occur in the Isle of Man, and has been recorded from Ripon, Skipworth, and York, also from Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Notts, Lincoln, and Gloucestershire. The caterpillar is brownish, inclining to greyish above and to greenish grey beneath, freckled with darker brown; of the three whitish lines along the back, the central one is widest, but is only really distinct on the middle part of each ring; the lines are margined with black, the edging of the central one irregular, but of the others more complete; the spiracles are whitish, and the area above them is dark grey-brown enclosing paler spaces on each ring; head, shining grey-brown freckled with blackish. It feeds, in April, May, and June, on ash, and until the leaves expand it is content with the buds. After dark it may be beaten from saplings in the hedgerow, as well as from full-grown trees. By day it hides among moss or litter, or in the crevices of bark, and at dark may be found crawling up the trunks of ash trees.
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| 2 Pl. 6. |
| 1. | Orange Upper-wing: caterpillar. | 2. | Dotted Chestnut: caterpillar. |
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| 3. | Pink-barred Sallow: eggs, natural size and enlarged. |
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| 4, 4a. | Sallow: eggs, natural size and enlarged, and caterpillar. |
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| 2 Pl. 7. |
| 1-4. | Lunar Underwing. | 5, 6. | Red-line Quaker. |
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| 7, 8. | Yellow-line Quaker. | 9, 10. | The Brick. |
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